Never Alone
by WhispersofDuskShade
Summary: After the Battle at Hogwarts against Voldy- a lot of souls were lost. Here, we follow the aftermath of the soul survivor to the Peddleton family- Aurora- as she steps up and helps the community to rebuild the future. She doesn't stop there though, as she desperately tries to reconnect to her ex boyfriend, George- hoping she isn't too late to save him from himself.
1. Chapter 1

**Buh-buh-duh! Welcome to my Harry Potter fanfic, Never Alone!**  
 **Not too much to say really. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter- JK Rowling does.**  
 **I however- own Aurora and her... lovely... family.**

* * *

Aurora stood in the middle of the deserted street. The shops around her—once so full of life—were now in shambles and voice of all life. Even the cheeriest one of all—Weasley Wizard Wheezes—was dark and gloomy.

Three months since the battle of Hogwarts, and things hard barely changed. Voldemort and his Death Eaters had made their mark- if not physically—then mentally.

Emotionally.

The Daily Prophet kept "reporting" sights of Death Eaters, which only led to more panic. Aurora was tired of this whirlwind of feelings she had felt over the months.

Helpless.

Scared.

Alone.

Just as many others had—she too, had lost loved ones in that war. Closing her eyes, she could feel them—just briefly.

' _Just like they are still here…_ ' She thought, a soft smile lifting the corner of her lips for a split second.

"My child… what are you doing in the middle of the street?" An elderly man asked her, his voice soft and crackly. Turning her head to the left, peering at him with her emerald eyes- he could see the determination welling up within her.

"It's a shame, that with all we have been through- we are still in such a state of emptiness. Our battle that day…. It joins us as a generation—as a community. But what about the next generation? What will they have—if we don't rebuild the world we once knew? They can't rebuild the future—if we don't rebuild the present," Aurora said, her soft voice gaining strength with each word; She was just barely aware of the presence of people appearing—as they stepped out of the darkness of the shops and alleys, listening as she continued," Even if we rebuild, we will never forget the losses we suffered that day. Those we lost will always be with us—in our hearts—but more importantly, in our memories. Memories that will last a lifetime. We owe it to them—we owe it to the future generations—to give them a full life, like we once had. We owe it to ourselves."

Ollivander stood there, listening to the powerful words. A gentle smile lifted his lips, as he thought of the young girl that once stood in his shop. No longer was Aurora Peddleton the shy, quite Hufflepuff he once knew. The war had morphed her into a strong, brave, wisdom-filled Ravenclaw, just like her sisters—

' _Just like her mother_ ,' Ollivander smiled with the thought, thinking of the friend he had lost; then he stepped towards her as he said," I am with you, my child. Who else?"

Aurora's eyes shined with respect for him, silently thanking him. It was the least he could do—for her.

For her whole family.

Murmurs rippled through the onlookers, as slowly—one by one—they walked to stand closer to her, nodding. It was like a new life had been given to the Wizarding community—as for the first time in months, people saw a future. A bright future.

"We can't do this alone though…" One of the shop owners frowned, looking at the small group. Aurora nodded in agreement; while they had magic on their side and each other to lend helping hands—they still could use more help.

"I'll go see if I can find anyone else that will help," Aurora stated, thinking back to all her fellow students at Hogwarts," Meanwhile—if there is anyone you can find to ask, feel free to see if they will aid our efforts."

0o0o0o

A week later, Aurora stood on the porch of a family she had grown surprisingly close to. The Weasley's had gone from just another Wizarding family (and the twins'- bullies) to a group of people she would do anything for. Over the course of the years- with their battles with the Death Eaters and Voldemort—she had surprised herself with how close she had become with the two that once bullied her with harsh jokes and gizmos. Her mind travelled to the last good memory she shared with the twins—which now only caused her a twinge of sadness.

' _Fred…_.' Aurora could imagine what George was going through. She was one of the few that knew the pain of personal loss that day. Luckily though- George still had the rest of his family to help him through the pain.

Taking a deep breath, Aurora rose her hand and knocked briefly on the door. No sooner had she done so, did Mrs. Weasley appear on the other side.

"Aurora, dear, how are you? I haven't heard from you in a while- I was beginning to worry…." As she spoke, her hands twisted- subconsciously mirroring the nervous feeling she felt.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley… I just… I had to deal with… with a few things…. It took longer than I thought it would…." Aurora explained, as she thought of the past few months- but smiled in an effort to comfort the older woman," But everything will be fine now…. I'll be fine."

"That's good- and I've told you, it's Molly. You're like family to us," Mrs. Weasley said as she opened the partial door," Now, please—do come in, sweetheart."

Ducking into the house, Aurora's blue eyes darted around- landing on everyone that was in the room.

' _Percy… Mr. Weasley…. Bill…. Fleur…._ '

"Where's George?"

Instantly, Aurora could tell that her question had an effect on the family—and it caused her own worry to surface.

"George…. He hasn't really been around much. He's taken to staying locked up in the loft… Ever since…" Mrs. Weasley trailed off. Aurora knew what she would have said, anyway.

Since the war. Since losing Fred.

George hadn't even attended Fred's funeral- so Aurora had heard. A ping a regret travelled through Aurora- as she had also not attended Fred's funeral. She had been too wrapped up in her own loss—her own stage of denial.

"I see… and I am assuming the others are at Hogwarts?"

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley nodded," The four of them are finishing their final year—together. I'm glad, too. Times like this… we need it."

"Yeah," Aurora agreed," That actually brings me to why I am here. We're rebuilding Diagon Alley—but I need more volunteers to help…."

"Say no more," Mr. Weasley nodded," We'll be there."

The admiration Aurora felt for the family grew with his statement. Even with the emotional turmoil they were going through- they would still help.

"Thank you," Aurora said sincerely," We can use all the help we can get. If you can find anyone else who is willing…."

"We will ask around dear," Mrs. Weasley smiled," Would you care to stay for dinner? It's almost done cooking."

"Thank you... but I must return. Perhaps next time though?"

"Of course," Mrs. Weasley nodded. Aurora could tell that Mrs. Weasley was hoping she would have stayed, but it would have only been awkward for Aurora. Not having been there for them when they had been suffering the loss of Fred—and instead wallowing in her own loss… If she had someone around, they might have been able to pull her through that dark time quicker, but she had done a decent job on her own.

' _I have to believe that I done it the correct way… Otherwise I'll just regret it…._ ' Aurora thought, pushing down those dark memories—all the way to the back of her mind, as she said her goodbyes and left the Burrow.

' _If it was a mistake though… I won't let George make the same one. I owe that to Fred._ '


	2. Chapter 2

**_Some angsty fluff in this chapter._**

 ** _... at least i think its considered angst... I've never been too familiar with the exact definitition..._**

 ** _oh well, enjoy!_**

 ** _Any words below that are bolded are just Aurora emphasizing certain words!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter- JK Rowling does. I however, own the Peddletons and Aurora._**

* * *

Days quickly turned to weeks—weeks into a month. Before Aurora knew it- winter was upon them, and Christmas was approaching. With the upcoming Holiday and the winter conditions, Aurora told her volunteers to take a few weeks off.

' _They deserve to be with family. Since the war…. All time spent with family and loved ones is precious… We never know when it'll be taken from us_ …' She stood there, taking in the change they had made to the town. It was a slow process- but it was process nonetheless.

There was still something missing though. A certain spark of happiness. Despite everyone's attempt to connect to George—he kept distant. No answer to knocks on the door. No answer through conversation.

Frowning, Aurora turned her attention towards the store at the end of the road. The store that was once so full of life and laughter. Now, it was quiet and dark—eerie even—and Aurora didn't like it.

' _I give you one week, Georgie. After that- I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get the brightness back_.'

0oo0oo0

Exactly one week later, Aurora stood outside of the loft, staring at the door. Listening intently, she heard no sound of life. It was as if no one was in there- but she knew better.

"George," Aurora began," Everyone has tried to do this civilly- and you don't seem to want to cooperate. So, I am forced to take it to the next level." She felt like she was talking to the door, but she knew he could hear her—even if he didn't want to. Taking a deep breath, Aurora tried the door handle- half hoping it would open, but not surprised when the door didn't budge.

"George—open the damn door!" The red-headed Hufflepuff waited for a few moments- but after trying the door again and it not giving, she huffed in annoyance.

"Alright, you want to do it the hard way," Aurora murmured, bringing her wand out of the small pouch on her thigh. She pointed the tip at the lock and muttered," Alohamora." A soft click sounded as the door slowly creaked open. Peering inside the twins' loft, a shiver ran down Aurora's spine.

How long had it been since she had been up here? It seemed like ages—when it was just last year.

Before everything went to hell in a handbasket.

Straining her eyes to see in the darkness, Aurora took a few steps inside. No lights were on, but she could smell the dirt and cobwebs that littered the premises. It looked like the place was abandon. The stuffy air made it a bit hard to breath, and Aurora could feel her throat becoming dry. After her eyes adjusted, she looked around the room more carefully. A small movement in the far corner of the living room caught her attention- as she peered that way. The sight before her caused a startled gasp to escape her throat.

"G-george?!" Aurora choked out, as her mind flashbacked to the months she spent in her own isolation. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, the red-head raced over to her friend and knelt down beside him. Her blue-green eyes softened as she saw the mental state he was in—and it frightened her, as it was nearing the same she had been.

"George?" Aurora whispered, her voice soft as she gently placed a hand on his arm. He turned his head a fraction of an inch, staring at her out of the corner of his eyes. His once green eyes- so full of life and cheer- were now dull and void of any emotion. She could see how much pain he was in—and it killed her inside.

The dark circles under his eyes and the unkempt style of his hair—along with his scruffy facial hair told her all she needed to know.

" _He's giving up... just like I had…_ " Aurora thought," _At this rate… he'll join Fred in no time…"_ Taking a deep breath and standing up, she prepared herself for what she had to do. " _He might end up hating me for this, but it has to be done. He needs to see…. To realize…."_

"George. Stand up," she ordered," Now."

Silence.

"Damnit Weasley—Up!" Aurora grabbed him by the arm and tugged.

"Gi'off me!" He yelled at her, his voice cracking from a dry mouth.

"No!" she argued, demanding once more," Get up!" Tugging on his arm once more- she was surprised when he pushed against her. The sudden force of both actions caused Aurora to topple over backwards and George to land atop of her. For a brief moment, they lay there in silence, staring into each other's eyes.

"George—"Aurora whispered, breaking their moment- as George stood up and backed away from her.

"Leave. Just leave Aurora." As she stood up, he turned his back towards her- leaning his head against the dirty wall. The frustration welled within her and finally reached its boiling point.

"Damnit George! How can you be so daft!" Aurora questioned, her fists clenching at her sides," You lost Fred. Yes. We **all** did! We all lost someone in the battle! Get your head out of your ass to realize that some people lost more than just one person! Teddy lost **both** his parents! I lost my whole fucking family! I have **absolutely** no one left! **NO ONE**!" By now, the tears were falling down her face once again, as she yelled at the man that had captured her heart so many years ago. With her body shaking from her current state, the tears wouldn't stop trickling. She could barely see him through her blurred vision, as George slowly turned away from the wall- his gaze landing on her as this information sunk in.

He had been so wrapped up in his own grief—he hadn't even realized how much Aurora had lost.

"I… I didn't…." His voice faltered as he couldn't find the words, and in the silence that followed- Aurora heard his footsteps. She half expected him to be walking away, but instead felt his arms wrap around her- pulling her close to him. Her arms snaked around his neck as she buried her head into his chest and cried freely. It was the first time since leaving her childhood home a few weeks ago that she had cried. She promised the memories that were within those walls that she wouldn't cry; that she wouldn't be miserable. But here—with George—she realized that at times, it was okay to cry. That sometimes, a person just needs to let loose with their emotions, to let it all out—

" _Keeping your feelings pent up is never healthy, Rora._ " She remembered her mother telling her one year, after she had told her about the Twins' antics.

As she remembered this, she felt George shudder—and a wet mark on her neck—but at this moment, she was glad. For the first time in months, she had someone to lean on. She had someone that knew how she felt. She had someone that she loved—that she hadn't lost.

"We'll get through this together, Georgie," Aurora whispered, her hand clenching the back of his shirt.

"Just… promise me… you won't… you won't leave me…."

"I promise. You'll **never** be alone."


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey everyone! I apologize for the lack of updates. Life got hectic for a while, and I am still working on getting everything back in order. I honestly have no idea how long this fanfic will be, but it's cute, so i'll keep it going for now._

 _So much feels in this chapter ;-;_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter- J.K Rowling does. I own Aurora though!_

* * *

It was a promise she was going to keep- one way or another. In the week that followed, Aurora and George were pretty much glued to one another. He had insisted that she stay there—but a part of her felt weird to sleep in Fred's vacant bed, so she agreed on the condition she slept on the couch.

It was a rather… interesting argument, to say the least—but in the end George gave in and let her do as she wanted.

The week was spent primarily cleaning—both the loft and George's appearance. Somehow through the process, both had fits of laughter—and though they would never admit to it, it was the first laughter either had voiced since before the battle.

After George shaved off the scruff and somewhat brushed his hair, they took to cleaning the loft together. Both agreed, that while it would be tedious—it would be beneficial to clean up without magic. So, they lay their wands on the mantle along the wall and set about cleaning.

Dusting.

Dishes.

Trash.

Laundry.

And the complete disarray of papers. As they knelt near the floor picking the dirty parchments up, George felt the need to explain.

"I just… I tried to look these over one day… and I kept hearing his voice… seeing his ideas…."

"George- you don't have to—"

"Yes, I do… I need to…."

Aurora's green eyes softened in understanding, as the Weasley struggled to find the words.

"Alright," she nodded," So—why'd you decide to wallpaper the floor then?" A soft smile lifted his lips at her statement.

"I got mad…. Not at…. At him. Just at the whole situation. I couldn't take it any longer—and I just… combusted."

"Much like your escape from Hogwarts a few years back?" Aurora joked.

"Pretty much. Though this one was more…. Dark..." Finishing, they stood up and placed the parchments on the small kitchen counter before a soft tap on the window was heard. Both looked to the window and saw on owl hoovering outside. As George crossed the room to let the owl in, Aurora set to straightening up the parchments.

As she worked on neatly stacking them, Aurora gazed over the hastily scrawled script—recognizing when it was Fred's writing or George's. Sometimes she would try to make sense of the random words or drawings—mostly though she would just laugh to herself and shake her head.

" _Some of these are good ideas_ …." Aurora thought, and then looked up towards the window where George stood, reading the letter. She saw his solemn expression- sadness mixed with uncertainty.

"Something wrong?"

The red-head swallowed the lump in his throat and refolded the letter, tossing it onto a stand by the couch.

"Na," George shook his head, avoiding looking at her as he joined her in the kitchen. Aurora noticed his shaking hands as he flipped through a few of the papers. Gently, she placed a hand on his, causing him to stop- but he still didn't look at her.

"George. We've been through this. It won't make it any better to keep it in," Aurora reminded," Please…"

"My family…. They want me to join them later this week…. At the Burrow…"

Later this week.

" _Christmas…"_ Aurora realized, her heart sinking. She placed her other hand on his, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know it'll be hard—but it's something you should do. You all lost him that day… you all still have each other. Yes—there will no doubt be tears, but you have to look past that. To the happiness. The love."

His green eyes finally looked up, as they stared at each other for silent moments.

"I can't…. I…"

"George—"

"I can't do it—alone. I need you there."

Aurora's eyes widened in shock, and while her heart fluttered a bit- that hollow hole ached with the pain of loss.

"George…. I- I can't," Aurora said, slowly removing her hands from his," It's a time for family… something I don't have anymore…. I need to learn how to live without them…. I don't deserve the happiness that you all—"

"Stop it. Right there," George demanded, a flash of anger crossing his face as she looked at him, surprised," You do deserve it. You deserve the best of everything. You deserve so much more than all this- You have talent, and shouldn't be wasting your time with me-"

"I'm doing this because I care about—"

"Exactly! Why do you think I need you there with me? Because I care about you!" George walked around the counter and stood right beside her," I have to ensure you won't do anything stupid- something I would have done, if left alone- if you hadn't slapped some sense into me. I care about you Aurora. Always have- nothing will ever change that. You will always have a family; We aren't the best but-"

Aurora leaned forward with tears streaming down her face and quieted the Weasley with a kiss.

" _He cares about me…. Even through everything we have been through…. And he's giving me his family? Oh George…."_

She felt his arms wrap around her waist as he returned the kiss. When they parted, George kissed her forehead, and leaned his chin on top of her head.

"Remember that, okay? You mean the world to me… without you, I'd be lost." They stood in that spot for a few more silent moments, just holding onto one another- before they composed themselves and wiped away any stray tears.

"Alright," Aurora nodded, taking a deep breath," I'll go with you… to the burrow."

"I'll let mum know. You'll probably get a Weasley Christmas Sweater for your troubles," George joked.

"Oh- gifts! That's right…. I'll need to do some shop—"

"No, you don't have to—" George shook his head.

"Yes I do! If I am going to the burrow on Christmas then I will go bearing gifts! No changing my mind Weasley!"

He sighed in resignation as he quickly wrote a reply and sent it back with Pigwidgeon.

" _I'll also have to do some shopping_ ," George thought, sneaking a glance towards Aurora as he walked back over to the small kitchen.

"So- these papers need organized, badly," Aurora said, as he approached.

"Later. For now, let's go get some lunch." George took her by the hand and led her towards the cold streets of Diagon Alley. " _Maybe I can get an idea of what to get her as we pass store windows…"_


End file.
